Joyeux Noel
by xnobody13
Summary: A War has broken out between Lowee and Lastation, one that could easily annihilate both parties. The worst part, though, is that the war is taking place only a few weeks before Heartmas, the brightest and most peaceful holiday of them all. Will this war continue to its painful conclusion, or will our warriors feel the warmth of the season, and lay their arms down forever?
1. The Custom House

Chapter 1: The Custom House

My friends, I have simply traversed this world for many generations, yet only being crossed by me for a total of three weeks. It is simply yet another apparition of the same universe I originate from, but just like the dozens of other versions I have walked through, this is once more a land that followed a different pattern through history. It seems that I have not existed in this land, nor has the entirety of Lan16, though an expy seems to have taken its place throughout this world. In all my time of what has to be three years, I have not found the reason why these worlds deviate from some event, creating this monstrosity of the current time-field. It is beyond my current track of present thought, and from my current beliefs, I still have no idea if I ever will understand this concept of universalization. Maybe one day, but this universe appears to hark not a solution, but a simple problem that I must solve once more.

You may have no idea what in the world I am speaking about, but realize that I go by the simple, cursed name of The Phantom, one created by the Goddesses of Old from my universe. I believe someone will one day attempt to talk about my plot about ruining the universe I live in, and end up becoming the laughing stock among his peers but in case that never occurs, you may first meet me here, if you so desire. I am currently trudging my way through the Universal Spectrum, and I am currently in home among a universe quite like the one I belong to originally. This is currently the 1,026th Universe that I have stepped foot upon, and I still have no understanding as to why total destruction of universes even occur. Many scientists speculate that it is because a major fire will disrupt the natural flow, or perhaps departiclization will soon happen, or perhaps the whole Universe freezes over as though it was basked in Liquid Nitrogen; hell, I have heard many theories that it will be the celestial bodies that govern the universe in question that will end all of time in its abode. So far, the third theory seems to be the most accurate, as the land of Celestia, the land that hangs above my own world, as well as many of the universes around us, appears to be the ones that govern the time the Cataclysm will occur, though this is just a theory, for I have never laid my eyes on the Goddesses in the mighty council in the highest spectrum of existence; I met the ones of the lower veil, but higher, no mortal has ever made.

Still, this is once more another universe in the dusty spectrum of the multiverse, connected to the ultra-verse through various convoluted means. It has not yet experienced a terrific downfall like other worlds that I have been to, but I can tell just by how the wind blows about in the atmosphere that the end is certainly about to befall its denizens. Perhaps they are ignorant about this fact, or perhaps they simply have no idea that the end of the world shall befall them in less than 36 hours, being naïve to how the Goddesses above work in their splendor of worldly affairs. No matter what, though, hopefully I can find something that can answer my question as to why the end of the world must always occur for each and every universe. Perhaps, if Lady Luck took my side for this locale, I may find the answer that has been plaguing my mind ever since I became absorbed with other topics minus medicine works: is there any reason why we must all exist on this spectrum, if all that occurs is that we die without a care in the world? Must we have a purpose in life, if all we get in the end is the bloody end of the stick?

When I first got here, I entered the land of snow and mystics, of fantasy and delight, of white and shade; the land of Supendo was my first foray within this world, though from the common man I have heard that this was not the name the land started with; instead, a new power shift occurred within this universe, and the White Heart Family, still lead by Lady Blanc apparently, destroyed all resemblance to her previous ruler's rule, and establishment a new Basilicom in the center of the landmass, dubbing the land Lowee. Great, another universe that has a dark past behind it; I always enjoyed the ones that involved happiness and peace, even if the Universe was about to dissolve into nothing but just particles that were meant to be the composure of all things Newton (a man from a higher plane of existence) had alluded to. Still, I guess I just have to make do with what I am provided with. This weary soul is not meant to rest, after all!

The land of Lowee was exactly like the one back home: a beautiful wasteland of dreams and snow, all coming true against all forms of logic possible. The buildings are much more futuristic than the ones from my home, so it is clearly evident that this land does not take place within the 50's, but probably as far as 20XX, like the previous two iterations of this world. The buildings all give off the vibe of both a modern-day city, as well as the architectural of men ages ago, who used the natural materials of the world to build a small cavern for themselves to bask in away from the heavy frost outside. It was a mixture of the old world and new world, and I must say that it was surprisingly pleasant; it was like a paradise compared to the one back home. My home just has the harsh winds and precipitation that can freeze a gent in under ten seconds, even when covered in all layers of clothing imaginable. However, it seems that education here in Lowee has stalled, as there are only 50 registered Colleges and Universities, compared to Supendo's rich education system, comprising of nearly 100 Colleges and Universities. Still, being that this world is far different from mine, it can be that their brains are simply more able in this world than in mine; quite unfortunate, but unless you were Peter and the crew*, the ability to actually learn in my abode was actually quite rare.

Now, I never know how long I will bunk within a universe, but I always attempt to get a job, or at least find a way to mingle in with the common man, so it will help me better understand what this universe's purpose is in the whole matter of things, even if it is nothing at all. I later found that I belonged to the city known, in a strange sense, as Randome City, and the inhabitants were rather fantastical, at the same time as they were insane. Seriously, I have no flesh and bone, but even my metallic body feels rather chilled in this atmosphere, and yet all of these people wore nothing but shirts without sleeves, and pants that must have been made of permeable material. How could they live like that? Anyways, I had to cloak my body quickly, as my original, humanic body has been lost in time, and my current, lifeless form will surely scare off the men around me. While I wore a cloak that concealed my entire body, no one appeared to be bothered by it, which made me quite worried about this world's culture; I know that my distant friends have always told me not to judge anyone, but sometimes, it is simply implacable, and this universe is definitely testing my patience.

However, there appeared to be some sort of stigma for people that conceal themselves like this in this weather (how strange), and whenever I requested the news from someone, they simply answered me, but then ran off, with a heavy sweat blanketing their brow. I guess some things never change within each and every universe (unless you were Universe #405), but I still pressed forward in order to find a way to become accepted in the community. That was when I stumbled upon a strange building, dubbed "The Custom House" by many, during my trek across the city. While Randome City appears to just be a subordinate city to the major Capital of Lowee, this particular building seems to be the main location for regulating trade across the entire landmass, and I must say that compared to the other buildings, it was definitely a beautiful, fine piece of architecture. Knowing that this building must be my destiny to traverse, I walked into the building (after being interrogated by some guards over my suspicious countenance. I managed to make it out okay, in some way I cannot describe in human language), which was filled with roughly a dozen people, comprised in a rather, bland looking business setting.

In one way or another, I managed to get a bit job in this fine, government building, and I must admit, I am not the best at regulating trade within a Landmass; to tell you the truth, not many of us truly are, are we? I was simply instructed on working that damn machine again, known in this universe as the computer, though its design was exactly the same as the djoridibbibibibi from Universe #22. It was a menial and rather tedious task, one that required me to work on these damn databases over every object that passes through the various ports all around Lowee, though my major task was to regulate trade between the land of Lowee and Planeptune, a name that has remained constant throughout all the worlds I have currently been through. It was so tedious, that I actively wished that I had never spotted this blasted building in the first place, but once more, I must make worth what I have in front of me, even if it proves to be rather painful to do in the end.

Usually, my travels to these universes are short, with roughly about three days before I leave in vain. I enter these universes from my specifically-made portal in Lan16*, and I cannot leave the universe until a portal opens up, which always occurs exactly in the place I entered this landmass, where I would have 24 hours to traverse back to my home, or else be doomed to linger in the foreign universe until the end of time. Thus, I continuously checked my entry point, but no matter how many days have passed, the portal has never appeared again, even after an entire week has passed. This made me paranoid in the fact that perhaps, in the light of things, I have forgotten exactly where I entered the land, though I am pretty sure the area I chose was the correct place: in-between two bushes that were rather blue in color, surrounded by rocks that looked like multi-color gumdrops. Still, I let my mind calm down, as I continued to toil within the Custom House, hoping that the portal will still be there when I check the next time.

However, this extra time in this specific universe seems to be a good thing in the end, as I have begun to learn some facts about the universe that wouldn't have been possible had I left earlier than now. From what I have heard from my current colleagues, it seems that the Land of Lastation (the Black Heart Family also rid of the grey Heart Family in this universe, hm?) was currently at a bloody war with Lowee, after some horrid dispute involving the occupation of a hidden-away land bordering both of their nations. Apparently it seems that Lowee has the advantage, due to the harsh climate of this new land being all-too similar to the soldiers of the frozen landmass, a climate that Lastation is simply not familiar with. However, Lastation has quite the arms, as various missiles have been launch towards the advancing Lowee army, and even though it did not call for it, missiles were hurdled toward the various towns dotting the frozen landscape, harming innocent lives for nothing but morale-dropping. I have heard rumors that the Black Heart Family were quite ruthless in what they did, boosting that they only do everything, but I never knew that they were tyrants by nature; this could just be a side-effect of them being doppelgangers to those that belonged to my universe (I knew a rebellion will occur; I wonder if it occurred yet?), but still, it was quite unsettling, to say the least.

Yet, Lowee was not the kindest either, as it seemed that their Goddess not only wants this piece of land, but also complete domination of Gamindustri, and this may start with the occupation of Lastation in its entirety, which could mean that Lowee's Shares will go straight through the roof. It was quite scary to think of this, as I remember Blanc's mother horrifying reign of terror in the Second Polygonal War*, but both sides had terrible intentions, and I simply have no idea who to root for in this war of bloody-ideas. Hell, they were not the only ones who will fight to the bitter end; it seems that Planeptune has sided with Lowee (odd; wouldn't they side with Lastation? That would be the case with my universe), and Leanbox, the land to the bottom that must have been conquered by the Green Heart Family eons ago, is currently in negotiations with siding with Lastation, which certainly will not end well for anyone, due to their apparent, deadly rivalry over the previous decades. This conflict is quickly turning into a large-scale war, and I am currently fearing the fact that if this portal refuses to show itself soon, I will be drawn into the battle as well. That will surely not go well for my research at all, especially if this is the catalyst for the end!

After a hard day of work, I left the Custom House around the time the sun was just about gone over the icy hills to the north (what a strange pattern for the celestial body, hm?), and headed directly to the apartment I had rented just a little bit ago, in order to have some form of roof above my head; Lowee snowstorms could be quite deadly, if they followed the logic from Supendo. While at home, I was bothered by this conflict growing, and I constantly ran outside towards my entry-point, praying that the portal back home would be there, but unfortunately it was to no avail. I know I should learn something from each universe, but this universe is way too deadly for my personal liking. However, as I wandered back towards my apartment building, I gazed all about the terrain, and I noticed that many lights dotted the trees around me, filled with wonderful colors all across the mighty color wheel. It gave the night-time setting a pleasant feeling of warmth, even against the cold climate, and the lighted presence appeared to caress my body, and cradled me in a warmth only a mother could give to her newborn infant. Even in the cold and without proper emotions, I still felt this sudden feeling of acceptance, and in an instant, I actually removed my cloak, exposing my disturbing complexion to the masses around me. Oddly enough, no one appeared to comment on me, and I felt at ease with myself. Perhaps joy filled the rest of the people around me, and it delighted me to experience such a thrill as this.

I asked a fair, young lady what time of the year it was, and she pouted at me, not out of fear of my face, but more in disappointment over my ignorance. She proclaimed that it was the final month of the year, and that the joyous reunion of life and liberty will soon commence on the day of the 25th, where it has been rumored that a jolly, old man will ride his sleigh with an ennealogy of horsebirds, proclaiming gifts to all the good little boys and girls, and bring happiness all across the landmasses, even during the dark times like this. Of course, hearing this, I quickly drew to the conclusion that this universe celebrated the only happy time of the dead of Winter: the joyous holiday of Heartmas. It was that special time where goodness is spread about the world, children become elated over their prime of life, and older couples express their love for one another, on the day that hopefully expresses no hate or sadness in any living creature. There are plenty of holidays that coincide with the last month, such as the celebration of Blazuria and the year ending with glorious celebration of the Urr-Kin, though many often celebrate them all within the realm of Heartmas, as it seem that this universe uses all three of those terms interchangeably. I must say that out of everything I attempt to study in my endless life, the delight caused by this joyous celebration of life is something I will never be able to explain within my own time.

I asked even more questions, and it seemed that only two weeks remained before the fat man came to signal the start of happiness, though even I knew that the man was only a mere representation of love and holiness crafted by the various folktales around the globe; only two universes ever had the man actually existing, though I only ever saw his silhouette across the banner of the full moon at night. Still, the impact the man makes is quite impressive, as it seems that even the Goddesses pale in comparison to his awesome might, and I must say that a fat man that has the ability to make a trip around Gamindustri, as well as various countries around the globe, if there are any in this universe, in one night is quite the challenging man. Even I find myself to be delighted by his presence, even if he may or may not exist in the current time-frame.

I also learned that all nations celebrate the exact, same holiday, and believe in the exact, same customs, which makes me ponder how they can all just commit the atrocious crime of warfare, if they have very much in common. Though I cannot for the like of me explain all of their similarities, it makes me hate the race of humans quite a lot, for no matter what universe I enter, it seems that man can never rest with whatever he is granted; even the kindness of saints will break when greed enters their lives, and it is certainly a pitiful sight to see such animals try to dominate over something so worthless, like that piece of land, for instance. Why can't these nations just get along and survive amongst one another, becoming one with the world as they rule and protect the men around them? Even my own home is guilty of such crimes, as the various nations around Lan16 continuously fight for no, clear reason, though it always leads to death and guilt amongst the townsfolk who must endure the pains of war.

I entered a nice, little place of worship, which was a rather quaint and large building filled with a color-scheme of dark-blue, making the building look as though it was in eternal night, which was quite relaxing, to say the least. It was in worship over the Goddess, Blanc, and it seemed that the more prayers given to the mighty statue of her, the more powerful her nation becomes; in a time of war like this, this was certainly necessary, though in my opinion it shouldn't have to be done in order to avoid a mass extinction of their culture. Yet, the people were more than willing to pray and use their time to support their nation, which is quite the accomplishment of Lady Blanc, if you asked me. I heard the little children perform in a choir some melodies about the wondrous time of the year, and it filled me with joy, even if my heart was no longer present within my metallic frame of a shell. I laughed when the minister laughed, I cried when the fellow worshippers cried, and I partook in some festivities that made me forget my disgust on mankind. How delightful it was for them to fully accept my being as truth, rather than the monstrosity I appeared to be on the outside, as I was quite the unique specimen among a crowd of white sheep.

After this, I took a stroll through a wonderful town square, where a beautiful green was found, where members of the community were often found coalescing with one another, hatred leaving the front door as soon as the foot took a position on the unfrozen grass. Couples, both hetero and homo, cuddled with one another under the black sky, with the lights I have noticed back near the apartment growing in a far more intensity than I am familiar with. The cold of the night made everyone finally bundle up, and it was actually quite romantic to see such young lovers embrace one another in a strong passion that only humans could display. It made me feel like there was nothing wrong with the world, and even though it felt as though hell had frozen over, I simply didn't mind. That was the strength of happiness in this world, and it was quite kind for me to accept. The caricatures the light made, from the appearances of local creatures to the mythological beasts of the ancient days, helped fuel my happiness, and I honestly began to feel as though I did not want to leave this universe, regardless of the fact that it may just end very soon. I felt saddened by this fact, but I cheered myself up by saying that the universe will survive, and my calculations have finally proven inadequate.

I even at one point tripped over my own, fake foot. I felt as though the world punched me in the face, as my metallic body still had pain sensors, and it was quite painful when I landed on that rocky pathway. However, I soon felt a slight bit of hope when a kind couple, both female, helped me up, and even helped me gather a bag I had obtained from a local market (simple items that are meaningless in the end). This kindness was beautiful, and for the first time in my current life, I can finally say that I can smile exactly as how I made my mouth appear on this face. This has never happen before, and as I currently walk this path, I can safely say that I wonder if it will ever happen again. I soon began wondering about my way home, and whether or not I should go back to the Custom House in case I must stay here another night. These thoughts flooded my mind, but as I proclaimed that this night was quite the splendid one, I decided to just hold it back.

That was when I made a rather rash decision; I decided that I need to see for myself how people could possibly fight during the peaceful time. It made no sense; how can a beautiful, young couple help me up on my feet just out of pure kindness, and yet at the same time there were people that were fighting and having their blood spill about on the ground? I needed to view the battlefield, even if it meant risking my life. Who knows, I had to think to myself, perhaps the answer to the cataclysm will be answered here, and maybe, just maybe, I can see how this world matters. This amount of kindness on Lowee alone must be prevalent to the Ultra-verse, and if it is not, than how can it be possible for the Celestial bodies to create us solely for serving no purpose whatsoever? I must make haste and see how a war can be fought. Perhaps this happiness was to be short-lived, and maybe I will see the true nature of humanity play its course in this blasted world.

No, I must not lose hope! Maybe this conflict will be short-lived as well. I hope so, at least. Lowee and Lastation are in quite a scuffle, and it seems that Gamindustri is getting ready for the biggest war it has ever experienced before in its history. Can it be possible that any of the nations could proclaim peace with its brethren, before any more bloodshed must be made on the field? Can that gent known as Hawthorne be true to his theories in stating that man is nothing more than a breeding port of sin, and that any chance at a pursuit of happiness is simply void of any life and purpose? No, that can't be true! I may have fallen into despair after the mishaps that occurred in my home world, but there has to be a glimmer of hope! Please, dear ladies and men of the valley of Celestia; do not pull any trick upon my mind, and allow me to have my faith restored in humanity, before I must fall into a dark set once again.

To the eastern front, I go!

* * *

Lan16: A landmass that vanished from Gamindustri during their early 1950's (1.3). Lead by the Orange Heart Family. Lady Orange Heart XI was presumably killed by The Phantom.

Peter and the Crew: The people that worked with The Phantom. Peter appears to be his apprentice. The others were The Beastmaster, Lady Dpah, and FPS. There might be another member, but it is unknown at this time.

Second Polygonal War: A war fought between Supendo (later Lowee) and the alliance of Planeptune, Inoch Benio Mater (later Lastation), Lan16, The Pippion Alliance (later Leanbox), and other miscellaneous nations. Fought between Gamindustri's 1919-1923 (based off of our calendar), where Lady Belyy (Blanc's mother and then-CPU of Supendo) attempted to take Gamindustri over, as well as exterminate the Planeptunian race. It ended in failure for her.


	2. The Death of Kei

Chapter 2: The Death of Kei

Lastation, currently in war with Lowee over this uncharted territory to the north, was experiencing what had to be the worst news ever to be uttered during such a decaying month as this. The conflict has been going on since the month of scares, and it seems that it will only be escalating as the months go on. Many of her prized war generals were off in combat, and the Goddess of the land, Lady Black Heart, or informally known as Noire, was busy making preparations for another event that was certainly depressing to many. The news broke out swiftly across the land, and many conspiracy theories and prayers were given to the Basilicom, with confusion being the chief emotion felt around the various cities of the dark empire.

On December 12th, 20XX, Kei, the faithful Oracle of Lastation, had died due to illness brought on from complications of cancer in the brain.

She was suffering from this deadly disease for three years, and yet only brought it up to Noire and her little CPU Candidate, Uni, about two months before she eventually expired. She was always in pain during her last year, and by the end of it all, she was even skinnier than her usual self. Her hair began to wither and die, and though she never became bald, her hair was completely thin. She became short of breath by the last five months, and by the last two weeks of her life, she was always about ready to fall asleep, barely able to stay up whenever governing the war effort. In the last two days, she fell into an irreversible coma, and by the time when the sun was just coming up from the horizon, Uni discovered her Oracle lifeless, her face filled with content rather than pain. There was plenty of grief, of course, though Noire knew she was not allowed to think about it during this war, so she simply let the news out to the world, and immediately took her position as leading general once more, without so much as a second thought.

However, December 14th was the day of her funeral, and somehow, Uni let one of her leading generals, Nisa, to deliver the news to the enemy during a heavy conflict in the trenches. Nisa was of course fired at, but she managed to get the message over to one of the enemy commanders, and the news was brought over to the Oracle of Lowee, Mina. Noire feared that this news would strengthen the forces of Lowee and weaken her own, but in a surprise twist, Mina made an agreement with Lastation's forces to pull a temporary ceasefire. Lowee's soldiers complained, but eventually they all laid their weapons down, remaining in their trenches as Lastation's force did the same, though some soldiers were allowed to return to the Capital in order to say farewell to their strategist. It was going to be a highly honorable funeral, with a whole parade to be done as Kei will be brought to the royal tombs for her final resting place.

Noire cried profusely at the news of her passing, but she held her loyal Oracle in high honor. Even though she was sick, and it may have been possible for her to be saved if she reacted early enough, Kei never asked for help, or be admitted to the hospital, even when the news broke out of her cancer. She always maintained her calmness, and she kept her smarts even as the tumor within her head grew and metastasized throughout her body. She hid her deadly disease from the world in order to keep everyone from becoming depressed over nothing, and for a while, she was getting what she wanted. Noire of course yelled at her after the news was revealed, wanting to know why Kei refused treatment for her disease, but no matter what she felt within her body, she always refused treatment, and continued to lead the army against Lowee's armada. Noire felt that Kei died with honor, and established a standard for many in Lastation to follow, as it had to have taken a lot of courage for someone to hide their illness in order to not hurt those around them. Thus, a warrior's funeral was commissioned, and the funeral was quiet extravagant.

The sky was the typical gray that Lastation was known for, with a heavy rain predicted to fall at some point down the line. Thousands gathered on the streets of Lastation, where Kei's casket was to be carried by various soldiers of the army down towards the royal tombs, where she will, by mythological dictation, be granted the highest position in the afterlife, in order to lead the armies of Celestia. Millions have watched the event from their homes, even those that lived in enemy territories viewed such a depressing scene unfold. Trumpets and the like played a sad melody, and many on the streets cried and prayed for the fallen Oracle, as the atmosphere simply grew even worse than it was without this death in the family. As a sign of gratitude, Planeptune and Leanbox sent some condolences to Noire and Uni, as a sign that though they may soon become enemies, they were still human (Goddesses), and thus will willingly help one another in their time of need. It was one of those acts that confused The Phantom even more, though he felt that perhaps it was just a trait that this particular universe had. However, this thought was quickly thrown out the window when it appeared that Lowee had remained silent during this event.

"Noire, why didn't she say anything?" Uni asked as she watched the casket come closer towards the tombs. They both stood at the entrance, surrounded by some loyal guards, who were all attempting to act tough by not showing their grief, though some couldn't hold that image for long, and thus broke down as others consoled them greatly. Noire, still wearing her Lieutenant General outfit (it is up to you in order to see how it looked), watched with a sullen eye as the casket moved towards them, unsure as to how she was going to answer to her little sister. This was, perhaps, the first time Uni has experienced death so closely, and while Uni was not currently crying, nor has ever cried in front of Noire as of late, it was clear that her eyes were red, and at some point, she did end up breaking down due to grief, though Noire couldn't tell exactly when she did this.

"She…she didn't want us to worry, Uni. Come on, don't question her! Kei had her reasons, and while I don't agree with them, we have to respect them," Noire said, turning her head to face away from everyone else, holding back the tears that tried to escape her eyes. Kei was not related to her in any way, but being in her family for this long made Noire and Kei almost like sisters, and seeing this loss was quite horrifying for her to handle. Still, she had to remain strong for her nation, and crying will definitely lower the morale of her army by a large amount. "J-Just stay strong Uni. You are a Lastation denizen, and we do not cry, all right?"

Uni nodded, but knew her sister was desperately holding herself together, barely hanging on as her breaking point was just about to be met. She quickly took a hold of her sister's hand, squeezing it as hard as she could. 'It's okay, Noire…It's okay. Please, don't cry," Uni said, trying to hold herself back as she watched the casket grow even closer. Noire was now beginning to break even more, letting out a couple of her tears from those red eyes of hers. Still, as the Goddess of Lastation, she quickly recovered herself, using a spare handkerchief in order to wipe her eyes clean. This was definitely not a good image for her towards the entirety of the world. "Don't cry, Noire," Uni repeated once more, watching as a Government official walked up to both of them, a letter in his hand.

"My lady Noire, we have received a letter from Leanbox. It is addressed to you from Lady Vert," he said with a pained smile, his own grief getting the better of him. Noire nodded to him and took the note, saluting the General as he ran back towards the rest of his squad. The letter was quite exquisite for the current problems plaguing Lastation, with the color of the envelope, an elated brown with a pure-gold emblem adorning the fold, making a stark contrast to the darker shades all about them. Lady Noire felt rather angered at this act of generosity, feeling as though Lady Vert should have been there to speak with her personally, rather than anonymously through the written tongue. Still, it was the correct thing to do in opening it, and seeing what on Gamindustri Lady Vert could possibly say to her at a time like this. As of now, they were considered temporary allies during this major Landmass War, but Noire still felt resentment in joining up with her forces, as Vert always was the devious one; you can never tell when she'll just back-stab you and take the victory entirely for herself. With the letter opened, she read to herself:

"Lady Black Heart, I must say that I am truly sorry over the loss of a close ally to you. Lady Kei has been a true companion to you and the entirety of the Black Heart Family, and seeing as how she has done in the battles in the north, she has proven herself to be an able strategist, and her loss will certainly be felt throughout many generations to come. Still, we must look to the future, dear friend, as Lady White Heart and Lady Purple Heart could strike back at any point, using this news as leverage for them to push forward. I'm assuming you are aware of Lady White Heart wanting nothing more than to see both you, and your dear sister Uni, lifeless without a head, where they will be burned in their damn rituals, for some reason or the other. I think it will be smart if we take this opportunity and strike against Lady White Heart while she is currently in waiting. She will have no idea how we could have pulled through, and by the time she solves her own bafflement, she will find that her whole army has been wiped out.

"I also want to say that it was good that Lady Purple Heart sided with Lady White Heart. Her forces are strong, but she has taken too much pride in her army, and that will certainly lead to her downfall. I know that you were devastated at her betrayal, but we have to move on; if Purple Heart wants to be our enemy, then what other choice do we have? We will simply have to take her out as well, and do not worry; I am not like White Heart, so you do not have to fear me wanting total domination of the four landmasses. I am perfectly content with the southern landmass of Leanbox, and I hope it is the same story for you and the eastern mass of Lastation. We just have to surpass them in might, claim that island for your nation, and hopefully the conflict will end shortly. Please, do not let this death clot your mind; we will claim this victory, and even though Kei is gone, my own Oracle, Chika, is quite the strategist herself, so we will still have the strategic opportunity that Kei provided for you.

"Once more, I give my condolences to you and Uni, and I hope that this dark time, along with the war, will end soon and well so that both of you can receive the rest you deserve. We will be moving to the battlefield momentarily, preferably after the funeral, so please be prepared for the next encounter. We will hopefully take both of their armies out before they managed to achieve their goals of global domination. Please, take care of yourself, Dear Noire, and let us hope that good times will be found at the end of this dark tunnel."

The letter was signed by the lady herself, written beautifully without hesitation, written almost in the style that many doctors write. "Man, I hate when she writes so professionally," Noire commented to herself, feeling pretty angry that Vert would write something like this. Sure, the note was in good faith, and it clearly was not meant to be taken with a threatening eye, but Noire felt that in some way, Vert was using this act of kindness as a form of a taunt, where Vert was essentially kicking the Lastation Goddess while she was down. As the casket was now being carried up the steps to the top of the temple-looking tomb, Noire's tears were replaced by a plethora of emotions, where her fist began to shake in anger as the letter was now being crumpled up into a false image of its previous self. Uni, who was holding on to Noire's other hand, began to feel frightened by this sudden feeling of anger, and she struggled to get her hand free.

Another general walked up to them. "My lady, preparations are all complete. Are you prepared to give your speech in honor of our sadly-departed Oracle?" he asked her, showing literally no emotion upon his tired, sunken face, only displaying calmness that many soldiers are taught to display. Noire broke out of her angry trance, looking directly at the man's eyes with her own that, if one were to place a pin in the air right in front of her, she would still focus on her intended target. That letter from Vert was simply dropped to the floor, being blown away by a heavy gust of wind, flying directly into the air, before finding a home pierced through a satellite needle on top of an apartment building. Noire always told her nation to say no to litter, but being the hypocrite right at this moment, she simply hoped that no one saw it occur. Then again, with a beloved person of the community dead, there was a great chance that no one was really going to care in the first place.

"Yeah," Noire said, keeping her eyes fixated on the tired general, "I'm ready. Just…just give me a sec first, okay? I don't want my people to see me like this," she said to the general, who promptly saluted her and continued on his way up the stairs, making ample time in getting back into formation with the rest of the squad. Noire felt another spell of tears trying to break through her stoic shield, and refused to climb those stairs, just in case Vert was watching from a telecast, and would laugh at her pathetic state as she gave her speech. Uni grew even more concerned for her older sister.

"It's okay, Noire. She…she may be gone, but you still have me, right? Kei wouldn't want you to cry like this, you know?" Uni said, taking a few steps forward so she could view Noire's face directly. Noire, who was still in the process of holding back her emotions, stared back at her little sister, knowing that this would be the probable time for her to either smack Uni away or chastise her for looking at her directly. However, seeing that Uni was only trying to help her older sibling out, she simply sighed, and tried to crack a smile on that face, though she was not doing a pleasant job at it; the end results scared Uni, but she tried to smile back at her sister, trying to show her support during this heinous situation.

"You're right, Uni. Kei would probably go through one of those 'chastising' robot voices again. Thanks, little sis," Noire said, lightly patting Uni on the head. Uni, while relieved that her older sister cheered up from all of this, still publicly disproved of this motion, and quickly took a step back from her sister's hand. Noire felt a twinge of guilt for doing this, but as soon as she began to doubt herself, Uni let out a little laugh, and soon both of them were laughing, trying to stifle it of course, due to not wanting everyone in the world to view them as being sadistic; after all, who laughs during a funeral? "Come on, Uni. They're all expecting us," Noire said, and soon she wrapped a hand around Uni's back, and both of them walked in formation up towards the mason of the tomb. That laugh provided some happiness within both of them, but Noire still wondered if she was going to be able to hold her cool upon that podium, proclaiming to the world how important Kei was to Lastation, and how depressing this news must be to everyone else. If Vert was indeed watching, Noire feared she would view her as the weaker of the two.

That will certainly not be viewed as placable to Noire.


	3. Blanc's Ambition

Chapter 3: Blanc's Ambition

"Mina, what is the meaning of this! How could you stop the invasion? This would be the opportune time to strike! Seriously, what the fu-"

Mina, the great Oracle of Lowee, gently placed a hand over Blanc's mouth, making a silent sigh in order to indicate quietness. "Lady Blanc, please show some patience. As the Goddess of Lowee, you need to show pride and respect, even to your opponents. It would be bad for your image if you attacked them while they were grieving," Mina had to explain, pushing up her glasses as she gave Blanc her rather intensive-yet-highly emotional stare. She has worked as their Oracle for god knows how long, and her biggest job was not to regulate trade, or court over nation affairs, or even be one of the leaders of the army; no, it was to make sure Blanc and her little sisters, Ram and Rom, were well-behaved, _especially _when they were out in public. The two younger sisters, twins from the mother of Whatever-her-name-might-be, were extremely polar-opposites of one another, and thus their personalities often clashed, causing plenty of mischief, creating an impressive workload for poor, little Mina. However, her biggest job was to make sure Blanc was okay in the head, as it was clear that the young Goddess had a hot-head, meaning anything that might just tick her off by a slight bit would lead to probably one of the biggest outbursts in recorded history. Those outbursts are Mina's job to prevent, and luckily, she gets paid well, as well as the fact that she has a rather good build in terms of emotion; if she didn't, she would have quit eons ago.

Blanc threw her hands in the air and proclaimed something in apparent German (whatever that is), though it was quite terrible in terms of translation. "Yeah, I guess, but still, this would have been the best time to rid that bitch from our plans! Damn, if Big-Booby-Bimbo shows up, we're really screwed! Come on, Mina, a surprise attack! The public will never have to know!" Blanc proclaimed, trying to sway her personal strategist. However, these words of hers made her Oracle rather filled with rage, as her cheek was suddenly puffed out, and her eyes suddenly became shrouded behind a heavy blanket of darkness, with the pupils suddenly glowing like headlamps during a bizarre night on the streets.

"Blanc, we are not performing a sudden attack. That is final. It will be bad for us and the troops. They are all exhausted, and this will be a good time for them to rest," Mina explained once more, adjusting her glasses, before sitting down on some random chair next to a pretty big table. Blanc once more seemed to swear in German, and sat down on the other end of the table, slamming her fist into the fine, ivory material of the table. Mina sighed, knowing that Blanc's temper tantrums were always impossible to reverse right away, unlike her two, little sisters. How can Blanc be considered a true ruler of a nation if she still had the temperance of a child? It was simply a mockery of all those of the White Heart Family, and Mina felt rather tired with dealing with it. Still, she had made a promise to protect her superiors, and that means that no matter what ruckus they possibly can make, she must be there to be their moral support and general mentor. If she failed at doing those rather mundane things, what was she worth in the end?

"I guess you're right. They've fought enough for now. I guess Lastation will be too tired, anyways, so when we do fight again, man, they'll be as screwed as a plumber eating a poisonous mushroom!" The CPU of Lowee said, appearing to not be fazed at all by Mina's cruel mien, instead looking quite boisterous as she looked out towards the distance. Mina was quite elated at herself, even if she actually didn't do anything. Somehow, Blanc has calmed down, and even though her mind was still on capturing that land for Lowee's gain, she seemed to speak with a more mellow pattern than one filled with pure rage. Still, the Oracle of Lowee couldn't help but sigh once again.

"I wouldn't word it like that, but I guess you are correct. Would you like something to drink, by the way?" Mina asked, feeling her throat becoming rather parched after performing her "scary-face" before. Blanc looked at her with such an impassive face, making it seem as though she was completely bored with the conversation.

"Yeah, I'll just have water right now. Don't really feel fancy or any of that shit," Blanc responded, still staring out into space. Mina nodded, bowed to her Goddess, and proceded out of the room and towards the oddly colored kitchen (my lord, who paints their kitchen pink-and-orange?). She closed the door and, with a rather tramendous sigh, Mina walked over to a maid of the Basilicom. She still could not believe how well she did in calming Blanc down; perhaps Blanc was never angry to begin with! Still, Mina did not want to go through another bout like that, especially one dealing with Blanc wanting to continue fighting a rather, at least to Mina's beliefs, pointless war. The Goddess was a brash spirit, and there were too many a time where she would simply act on impulse, and whenever that happened, Mina was the house cleaner. Still, as mentioned so many times within the past couple of paragraphs, Mina chose to keep her mouth shut, for protecting and maintaining Blanc was her number one priority.

"Excuse me, Lady White Heart will love to have a glass of water. Please, may you be a dear and make her one?" Mina asked in a brusque manner. The maid was alarmed to see their Oracle enter this room, but she nodded immediately. She asked Mina if she, too, would enjoy the splendor of life, of which Mina agreed, setting the maid off to get those two orders swiftly and diligently. When she returned, she found the Oracle lost in a trance of some sorts. With a hefty question mark above her head, the maid implored:

"My lady, is there something wrong? D-Did I get the wrong type of water? Lady White Heart liked the lemon version, correct?" the girl asked, clearly showing that she was, indeed, green on the force of maidenship. Still, being that this fact had no bearing on the plot at all, we shall not elaborate upon it, for the sake of no confusion for the readers sake.

Mina never left the trance exactly, and this made the maid turn to view wherever the Oracle happened to be looking at. It seemed that Mina fixated her gaze upon a window on the other end of the room, where a delicate snow-shower fell towards the land below; it was at its calmest rank so far, with the majority of the day being filled with snow that wouldn't stop falling at a rapid rate. Through this light thicket, if you managed to peek just well enough, you may discover a bright light shining on top of an evergreen tree, shining with vigor and with the most intense yellow anyone has ever seen. The tree was decked with a multitude of lights, all distinct from one another, with shades of purple, yellow, green, orange, and read sparkling against the heavy boughs of the majesty of nature. It was quite a beautiful sight to behold, but the maid was still confused as to why Mina would look so "lost" as she looked at it; wasn't snow a common thing here in Lowee?

Then the maid had a thought. "Oh, I know what you're thinking! Forgive us, My lady, but we were unable to start the building of the Heartmas Tree last week. We have just been so preoccupied with everything going on, you know? We did bring it up with Blanc a couple of days ago, but she simply passed us off; she's just so busy with this war, and having to set up charities and fundraisers is quite the tiresome job. Um, do you want us to start setting it up, though? I mean, all of us will be happy to-"

"That won't be necessary," Mina said quite harshly, making the maid stop dead in her diction. This sudden outburst of rudeness on the behalf of Mina caused the maid to accidentally fumble with the glasses, making them tumble towards the ground, making the basis of hydration spread about on the tiled floor. The maid shrieked, and quickly scrambled as she tried to figure out what to do; for some reason, her final selection was to crouch first, then try to wipe the floor, then realize she had nothing to wipe the floor with, so she would have to stand up once more, grab a few paper towels from the emergency-paper-towel-dispenser, and then finally crouch down once more to clean the water up. This strange act of befuzzlement made Mina snap out of her trance, and she quickly saw what she ended up causing. With a rather lax smile, Mina stopped the maid from grabbing the paper towels.

"No, no, let me wipe it up. It was my fault to begin," Mina said with a smile you simply couldn't deny loving. The maid looked at her in confusion, but still allowed the Oracle to do what was supposed to be her normal job. As Mina wiped the floor (commonly adjusting her glasses on her face, in case the graphic engine needed to render that), she looked up at the maid, who was pleasantly confused and unsure of what to do. Mina smiled once more. "I didn't mean to sound like I'm yelling. It's just, I really would enjoy having the Heartmas Tree up, so Ram and Rom could have a happy holiday, but Blanc refuses it to be put up. I really wish we could, but I understand how our Lady feels, and whatever she wants, I guess in certain ways I want it as well.

"It really is sad, though, to see that tree out there. All around the city and countryside, every tree has some sort of decoration on it, and it is beautiful, especially at night. Yet, because of this war, it just doesn't feel right, and with Lastation often times threatening the use of bombs, some people just head out without a passion. This should be a great time for everyone, where we can celebrate the New Year coming up, and allow ourselves to just relax, but because of that…_stupid _island, we can't even be happy for one second! No one can even look at that tree without thinking that a loved one may not come back from the battle. It's…I shouldn't even be talking like this, but I just can't help but be depressed over this. It's just not right to have a war right around the holidays. Blanc even said it herself that seeing a tree within the Basilicom would just make her sad. These times…they certainly are bleak."

The maid could only look so concern, as Mina, her very own Oracle of Lowee, tried to stifle some of those tears that desperately wanted out of her body. She was only new here, working now for at least three days at the maximum, and yet already she was going through an emotional scene, which usually occurred around the fifth month of working (I don't know, Lowee has those weird quirks). Mina did actually finish wiping up the spill, and proceded to throw out the disposables, as though that whole heartfelt answer from her, well, heart never occurred in real time. This only served to make the maid confused even more. Even though Mina was losing the battle with her tears, she still managed to create a cheerful, if saddened, smile. "I'm sorry for saying that to you. I didn't mean to sound so depressed. I guess I just had to release all of that. You know what they say: A picture is worth a thousand words! Though, I guess this time it would be a window…" Mina said, chuckling slightly to herself, as though she made a joke that couldn't even be considered that. Once again, the maid felt really awkward.

"No, i-it's perfectly fine, my lady. It's never good to bottle things up!" the maid said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. In what may have normally caused her to receive a whipping at the Lowee Whipping Post if done to Lady White Heart, the maid made bodily contact with Mina by placing her own hand upon the Oracle's shoulder. Mina was caught off guard, not sure as to how she could even react. Due to Lowee having the highest percentage of disease spreading, the Basilicom issued that, no matter what, bodily contact must be kept to a minimum (it was not helped by the fact that Lowee was pretty cold, _especially _when winter rolled around); recent days saw this policy begin to vanish, due to better medicine and care, but no one was allowed to take the risk. Due to this, Mina would have normally chasticed the poor girl to smithereens, but for some reason, she enjoyed this comfort. Perhaps it was the warmth radiating off of the maid, or perhaps it was the feeling of kindness during these horrific times that elevated the mood a little bit.

Mina made eye contact with the maid, who was actually smiling back at the Oracle, one that was filled with sincerety. "My lady, you must not think that this war will completely ruin the chances for Heartmas. I bet that this war will be over sooner than you think. When that happens, we will set up the tree, the young ones will be filled with joy, and life can continue on like normal. Maybe we can even be friends with Lastation, and all will be well, hm? We may be in a bad notch, here, but we still have hope, and we will always have hope, no matter what," the maid said so cheerfully, making her doubt her own tongue, thinking that over-optimism she was displaying was too much for the depressed Oracle. Mina now looked down to the floor, softly and gently inching away from the Maid's hand, trying now to desperately avoid eye-contact.

Mina's voice sounded much more hoarse than usual. "You're wrong. Blanc and I have tried our best, but even with Planeptune supporting us, this battle may go on for months! I'm afraid even the New Year will not be celebrated at this rate. Oh, Ram and Rom…they'll be completely mortified by all this," she said, holding a hand over her eyes, so to allow the maid to keep some sort of innocence from the crying that was about to ensue. "There is no hope, I'm afraid. This war will keep going until one of us has to withdraw. Heartmas, I guess, is cancelled. Truly a shame," she suddenly continued, her voice slowly becoming broken as those pesky, little tears began to scroll down her face, as though marking their territory of shame.

The maid knew that Mina will not see anything that she could possibly do, but with a puff-cheek indicating determination, the maid persued to change the mind of Mina. "If that is your belief, then I cannot change it forcibly. You are my superior, after all," the maid said, feigning a bow behind the Oracle. Mina nodded, still hiding her tears as she pushed up those glasses yet again. However, Mina did not foretell the continuation of the maid's speech. "However, I want you to know that I think there is some hope left. I mean, if there was no hope to begin with, I shouldn't be here, working for Lowee and the Basilicom."

Mina just stood there as the maid smiled, picking up the fallen glasses from the ground and handing them to another maid, who immediately rushed to the nearest sink. Another tear fell from Mina's face, though within the realm of her inner-mind, there was a strange fued being fought. It was a strange one, forged from the words of her own tongue, and the ones forged from the maid, who seemed to be quite cheerful for being a newcomer. She has yet to realize just how cruel the world could grow, though maybe that was for the better, as the words of the maid made Mina feel at ease, though her darker self continued to fight away this blissful feeling of, if it could exist, hope.

"I'll…I'll think about it. Thank you, my fair maid," Mina said, still facing away from the younger girl, slowly making her to the door and back to Blanc. The maid quickly made another bow, wondering if she actually managed to help the poor Oracle resolve any of her worries. It was indeed scary and sick that the Heartmas Tree will probably never see the growth it normally receives every end-of-the-year, and it made the girl wonder herself if her words could ever become fact. Still, she relied on hope to get to where she is now, and it seems that Lowee needs all the hope she had left over in order to persevere through this dark time.

"Wait, My Lady! I still need to get you that water!"

"That took awhile. What happened, a maid trip again?" Blanc asked as Mina walked towards the table. That whole speech took roughly 10 minutes to fully complete, and Mina felt that Blanc would have been extra pissed off, due to having the worst patience imaginable (Ram actually held the title, and Neptune was a close third). However, she was still as mellow as before, possibly even more as time went on. Mina smiled to her and brought the tray down on the table, with the two over-sized glasses filled with water resting upon it. Thankfully, no other accident occurred, and it appeared that the scene could proceed as normal.

"Oh no, I was just helping one of the rookies get started. She was just so perplexed, I couldn't help but lend a hand," Mina said, dying off any excess tears she may have had left with her thumb, making sure Blanc never knew what fully occurred within that kitchen. As she was doing this, she realized that the lights within the Basilicom were dim, barely lighting up the entire room as a whole. Part of the roof from the grand hallway in front of them was gone, replaced with one, rather humongous window, allowing a full view of the sky and, since the Basilicom was quite low on the land, a view of the main city was also possible, showcasing the splendor of the decorated buildings, filled with Heartmas Colors all around (the only way this vantage point was possible was by having the roof be at an incline, thus allowing the window the view. This was only provided for those that can't visualize my heinous descriptions). The table they sat at was surrounded by white lights; the very ones that would have surrounded the mighty Heartmas Tree, if it were allowed to stand this year.

"Blanc, what is the meaning for this?" Mina asked in surprise to her surroundings. It was rare for the lights within the Basilicom to go dim like this, and whenever they occurred, it usually signified that Lady White Heart was ready to thrash and kick some damn ass. Perhaps this mellowness she was exhibiting was just a bluff for her real feelings, which would most likely cause Mina to get hurt badly.

However, Blanc had a different reason for all of this. "I just wanted to enjoy the view. It is almost night-time, and the snow looks so beautiful during this hour. Can't really enjoy much these days, can we?" she asked, lying against her chair as she drank the water, looking at the window with her mind encapsulated beyond belief. Mina was shocked at this reaction, expecting something like her jaw being unhinged from an unexpected punch. Eh, Blanc had her ways, the Oracle guessed.

"The lights?"

"Oh, these? Had no idea where to put them, and knowing that Ram would be an ass if I placed them around the windows, placing them around this table was the best option. This holiday was getting too damn depressing, so I decided to just put them here, hopefully making me feel better. It really isn't working, though," Blanc responded, taking another sip of her water. Mina made an "ah" confirmation noise, and also found herself relaxing in her chair. There was so much to talk about right now, especially concerning the war, but she just didn't feel like talking about anything. Maybe it was the nice feel the Basilicom was giving her, or maybe the snow against the window intoxicated her mind. Either way, the normally worried Oracle felt just as mellow as her Goddess.

"Mina, Ram and Rom are in bed, correct?" Blanc asked out of the blue, taking another sip of water. Even in surprise from the question, Mina still was feeling laid back, without a care in the world. She didn't even care that her glasses were still slipping off from her nose.

"They were tucked in about an hour ago. I haven't seen them in the kitchen, nor did I hear them while in there, so I am assuming they are still fast asleep," Mina responded, taking her own drink in return. Blanc nodded, and once more fell into a silent trance, as both of them watched the snow fall from the darkening sky. It felt quite surreal, which may explain why the both of them did not speak a word for nearly a full half-hour. Perhaps this was that time Mina talked about, where people could just relax during the holidays, instead of having to toil about with all that war-nonsense. If only others could enjoy this peaceful serenity, and if only it could last more than just a half-hour.

It was probably around the time Blanc finished drinking the water that another conversation started up. It almost mirrored how the conversation went with the maid and Mina. "Mina, I know this will sound weird, coming from me, but do you think we'll be fighting even after Heartmas?" Blanc asked, sighing to herself while somber music played in the background (thank you, fellow composers). Mina broke out of her trance to hear her ask that question, and indeed it was strange to hear the CPU say such words. Blanc did have some worries and all, but she never expressed them, instead opting to go all guns-blazing on any unfortunate sod that dare try to get in her way. Hearing her voice a concern out loud was a deviation from the norm, at least for Mina.

Mina had to think this one over carefully, knowing that even her gut would say "yeah, probably." Should she say that to her own superior? No, that would probably get her in a buttload of trouble, but what else was she supposed to do? Lie blatantly in order to disguise her final verdict? Mina was the type of girl that could only lie over pointless reasons, such as the lie about the maid and her, but a lie detailing a rather serious topic was something she could never muster the courage to commence. So, with all of these options leaving her mind one-by-one, Mina had chosen the closest thing she had to a physical answer.

"I don't know, Blanc. I just don't know."

She knew Blanc was calm, but that response had to have generated some sort of violence upon herself. However, Blanc did no such thing, instead only nodding to herself as she looked towards the window, a sad look being held within her eyes. "I understand. Man, Ram and Rom…I may give them shit, and they certainly give me some, but they…they shouldn't have to go through with this. They should be having a happy holiday, not the saddest one in history. They're still oblivious to the entire scope of this war, and I want to keep it that way, but it still hurts to know that, no thanks to Lastation, we're fighting a war that will certainly stop Heartmas from happening," Blanc said, her tone growing ever so sad with each and every word spoken, though her face remained calm and collective. Mina was virtually stunned by all of these words, never hearing Blanc ever get this sincere before.

"I know what you mean, my Lady. They don't deserve this hell. I guess it is already too late to try and call for a truce, hm? More than this temporary one, I mean," Mina said with a sarcastic quip. Blanc shrugged, feeling completely unenergetic now, though she still managed to get herself standing, flexing her arms a little bit. Mina finished off her own water, though she remained seated, wanting to know why Blanc was now standing.

"Even if we did have the opportunity, I couldn't just make a truce with those that hurt my people with with threats and missles from the sky. Lastation is menace to Lowee, and from here on out, it might as well always be. That land that they want is not for the taking, and while I have no damn idea why they would even want it in the first place, whatever the reason is, it's not as good as ours. We need that land to build up our fishing and manufacturing industries, and that place will be perfect for both. Lastation has no real reason to take that land, and personally, Mina, I think their Goddess wants if for the greed of filling her fat body. Does she even realize that our people are much more suited to survive in that climate, anyways?

"Everyone keeps saying how I want to completely take over Gamindustri, but I just want to freaking shoot those people! I may not look like it, and I wouldn't blame you if I come off as a bitch here-and-there, but believe me, I only care about the well-being of my people, and I only attack violently when their safety and well-beings are at risk. I don't want to take over Gamindustri; I just want everyone under my rule to be happy and not screw-ups like in the other nations. If they want to fight us, however, then I may consider complete domination, but right now, there is no reason for this. We'll weaken Lastation's forces, make them sign the declaration for surrender, and hopefully stop all of this chaos right then-and-there. I just hope that we finish this fight before Heartmas happens. That's kind of why I was so gung-ho with attacking Lastation while they were grieving, though I understand why you didn't want me to. Besides, if Ram and Rom found out I did that, I would probably be dead, and that isn't the easiest thing to do!"

Mina had to admit, that major monologue from Blanc was quite remarkable for someone of her nature. She was a brash women, but deep down, all she wanted was for everyone to be in the happiest state made possible by humanity. She may enjoy violence, but when her own home was at risk, she was ready to defend everyone with her own life. It was things like this that made Mina want to retract her previous comments on how Blanc was quite incompetent as a ruler, though these were merely just mere hints of genius, rather than the full thing. Still, it was always nice to see Blanc hoping that the war will both end in their favor and in time for Heartmas.

_Hope…_

"I know, Blanc. I may not always agree with your decisions, but I am behind you all the way. I don't approve of this war myself, but if we have to do it in order to prevent any more death on those that are innocent, then I will help you realize your goal of victory," she said, pushing up her glasses finally as she also stood up. Nearby, where the kitchen was located, the same maid was watching through the crack of the door, watching the scene unfold before her very eyes. She saw that Mina was still doubting herself (based solely on her body language), but was relieved to find that she was actually starting to believe that there may have been some hope there, after all. Of course, Mina and Blanc were clueless to her presence, but that didn't help the fact that the atmosphere in the room seem to start growing much better than before.

Blanc looked at Mina and smiled, before extending her arms up towards the window on the roof, looking on with determination unmatched by any of the Goddess of the other landmasses. "I'm glad to hear that. Those bitches from Lastation and Leanbox will simply have to whimper and cry when I'm through with them! I got two younger sisters and a bunch of civilians that want an enjoyable Heartmas, and you better watch as I make Heartmas happen! Ha, they will never stand a chance against me!" Blanc yelled with a surprising vigor that it made even the maid jump. Mina couldn't help but smile at her Goddess, feeling for once that perhaps, this war may just work out in the end, and Lowee will emerge victorious, thus allowing Heartmas to continue on like tradition says. Mina couldn't believe it for one second, but she felt as though everything was going to be all right, no matter how bleak things got.

Perhaps the maid was right. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope yet for Lowee and the Basilicom denizens.


	4. The Island of Dispute

Chapter 04: The island of Dispute

Off the eastern coast of Lowee, right near the borderline with Lastation, was the great island in question. It wasn't the greatest in terms of length and width, but being surrounded by water on all sides, it was the perfect place to put an industrial area, given that it can be safely secluded away from the residents, causing no conflict in terms of safety, harm to the environment, and space being taken up. Now, if one were to grab a ruler, and attempt to draw a line that divided Lowee and Lastation up, in terms of the invisible border they had crafted over the past couple of years, one could argue that the island was more on the side of Lastation, and thus they should be the ones who end up taking the land. However, another can argue that the island lies mostly halfway between both of the landmasses, but because it shares a similar climate with Lowee, the land of wisdom and wonder should be the holder. This dispute was one of the thousand reasons why the two nations had a bone to pick with one another, and thus, war had to be declared in the beginning of the autumn season.

Now, the land was seeing autumn reach its climax, and the dead era known as winter will soon take its place, covering the world with a shiver never experienced during any other season. It is the time when the weather began to grow ferocious, damaging, and even killing any semblance of nature with an icy claw, making the world either become brown with death, or white-and-blue with sadness. While Lowee experienced this form of weather every day of the year, Planeptune, Leanbox, and Lastation have to struggle to remain alive during this portion of the year, for their climates, starting with Leanbox, than Planeptune, and finally Lastation, are tropically warm, pleasantly cool, and stormy warm, or whatever you may describe those terms. Planeptune was the closest to tolerating the cold of winter, but Leanbox and Lastation desperately try to find ways to fight off the cold, before it completely ruins their technology and food supply; rumors say that the tolerance to the cold weather was the reason why the land of Planeptune sided with Lowee, and Lastation with Leanbox.

So why was this description of the wintery season necessary? Well, on this island, the temperature is always below freezing, often averaging to around -12.22222 degrees Celsius throughout the year. Once the winter rolls around, however, the weather drops even more, ranging to about -18.22222 degrees Celsius, with the wind growing to nearly 165 mph, with the falling snow hitting the ground like bullets, hurting anybody that happens to be caught in it. Thus, there always has to be shelter above one's head, and the suits they have to wear are quite the accomplishment in terms of armor and weight. It still could serve as a good base for whatever the nations want, but during the winter, hell will certainly break out, leaving both of them defenseless against the forces of Mother Nature.

The island was quite big, one of the biggest in that region. When it formed, how it separated, what people lived there during the birth of civilization were questions no one had an accurate answer to. It was a mysterious land, lying next to the claimed island of Lastation, the one that holds Infinity Zone, being considered somewhat of a sister island to it. Legend has it that the land was were the great battles of the ancients occurred, which lead to the harsh climate it has today, greatly contrasting the island next to it, though this has never been confirmed. The White Heart Family held this land for three generations, though to what extent they used it for has been lost in history, due to the Government Cover-ups of the late 90's, and the Great reformation of the 80's*. There are still some establishments from their early rule littered about, but most have been destroyed due to weathering and being toppled by the heavy, bombarding winds. One of the biggest things The White Heart Family made on the island long ago, though, were the trenches they formed, presumably for some form of highway-system to protect workers/civilians from the heavy winds. It was the trenches that served as the grounds of war.

Lowee made comment on the island around the summer time, and Mina began to make arrangements to annex the territory into Lowee. However, Kei, still alive at this moment, quickly countered her arrangement, arguing that the island was technically in the boundaries of Lastation more, being in Lastation's territory by 50.1%. Thus, Kei argued that the island was already registered with Lastation, and was not for Lowee to take. However, Mina did research, and found that the island was indeed _not _incorporated into Lastation, allowing Mina to technically take it for Lowee. Kei, angered by this, began a mini Oracle War with Mina, involving plenty of faxes, threatening e-mails, threatening notes, and plenty of yelling at one another through a telecom. A cold war began in August, with plenty of threats of Nuclear Annihilation being given by Blanc herself towards Noire, who responded with her own taunts and warnings. Luckily, these never happened, but it actually got dangerously close, given Blanc's temper at the time.

However, during this cold war, Noire sent some of Lastation's army to scout the island, making sure that it could be inhabited by civilians, or if work could be done there. Kei managed to hide this event for at least a couple of days, but Mina soon saw what was going on, and thought that Noire was already trying to claim the land for herself (in reality, Noire was making sure that land could be used at all, so both nations will not face disappointment when they won it). This caused her to threaten war with Lastation, fully backed by Blanc. Kei, knowing that her army was mostly more powerful than Lowee's, was prepared to enter it, and though it took some time for Noire to agree to it, war was officially started between September 29th-October 2nd (The Phantom was not sure of the exact date). However, it was said that the battle should only occur within the island itself, though it mentioned nothing about attacking the other nation without having men step on the land physically (which explains why Kei was able to send missiles out to Lowee without being reprimanded by everyone).

With the climate clearly in Lowee's favor, and the manpower in Lastation's, no one was able to secure any footing in the battle, leading to a stalemate throughout the following seasons. There were points that Lowee got the advantage, but then Lastation quickly took it all back, both sides losing men without gaining anything in the results. Resources began to be drained as the harvest season began to end quickly, though both sides continued to fight. Lastation Independence Day was celebrated October 29th, with Lowee's on the 24th of November, causing many battles to be delayed in response. Unfortunately, as determined by some of the generals, attacking of Heartmas was key, and thus a dilemma ensued. Hell, even when no events were planned for that day, the wind often got too disastrous, with the snow-fall never resting at any point, piling upon the already desolate, snowy wasteland. These conditions were poor for gunfire, so the armies were often camped for days, just waiting to strike at their opponent.

The trenches were the only thing that defined which side was which, with Lastation owning one trench, and Lowee owning the other. The land in the center that cut them off was the only thing preventing the soldiers from annihilating their enemies. Most of the time, the men fired from the trenches in order to guarantee safety, but there were those overzealous men who jumped up and began charging. Occasionally, one or two may make it across, but they will be shot down pretty quickly once they reach the other side. The rest of the men who do not make it perish from the cross-fire, missile droppings, and the variety of mines soldiers place when no one is looking. From the span of roughly three months, 8,500 men have fallen between the two nations, and the number was expected to increase.

However, being shot was not the worst thing that could occur to a soldier. Given the terrible weather, many of the soldiers grew ill from exposure, many succumbing to the pneumonia that resulted from this. Others simply fell asleep within the trenches, never to awaken again. The dead bodies were supposed to be safely escorted out of the trenches and towards the reserves (as laws have stated for both Nations), though this often did not happen, as bodies were left on the ground for days at a time. For those that began to lose it due to the cold, their dead comrades were thrown up above the trenches, serving as sandbags for them, giving them much more cover and thus more safety, even if it was morbid.

In order to keep some warmth and thus avert death, soldiers were required to go into small houses lining the trenches, which were already dirty from neglect. The houses had roofs, and due to being inside the trenches already, it gave the soldiers resting some cover from intervening fire, as well as allowing them to view the action, thanks to the windows the mini-houses. However, only a few soldiers could fit within these houses, as they were only meant to hold four people at a time, with the majority of the room already being taken up by one of the commanders, a lieutenant, and sometimes a strategist, if needed. This caused morale to drop drastically, and threatened to nearly annihilate an entire battalion if it came down to it. Fires were often set within the trenches themselves, though because of the heavy winds, they often blew out within a few minutes, often accidentally igniting another soldier, leading to another unneeded death. Simply put, there was nothing easy within those trenches.

The Goddesses of the Nations have realized this, and doubts were made regarding if the island was truly worth it in the end, and numerous points occurred where the stationed troops had the opportunity to all withdraw. However, these points occurred right next to the point where the rumors started up, with Lady White Heart apparently wanting to go all out and slaughter the Black Heart Family, and Lady Black Heart wanting to destroy the culture that Lowee has based itself upon. Feeling now that the other nation was indeed a stronger threat than before, both parties continued the skirmishes on the island, losing more men and gaining absolutely nothing in return. Civilians from both nations held mixed feelings for this continuation; some protested outside of the Basilicoms, while others sneaked off on military boats, in order to help their army in the war effort. Still, even with this added support, I believe the armies are still in the exact same trenches that they have begun with when the war began.

Hell, just to continue the whole skirmish, Leanbox soon got interested in the battle for a reason undisclosed to the public, and quickly started to hold meetings with Lastation officials. Noire presumably protested Leanbox's involvement, but an unknown person within Lastation accepted Leanbox's help, and thus Lady Green Heart joined in on the war. Lady Purple Heart of Planeptune was quiet for a long spell, but many speculate that once Leanbox joined, Lady Purple Heart quickly joined the opposing side, either to balance out the conflict, or to finish up some convoluted rivalry between them and either Leanbox or Lastation. Yet, many felt that Planeptune would have normally joined Lastation, due to (of course) rumors spreading that Lady Purple Heart had a "thing" for Lady Black Heart, though this has not been proven. Many think that Lady White Heart tempted Lady Purple Heart into joining her side either from blackmail, money, or even a share of the island being fought over, though because Gamindustri has horrible information, none of these cannot be proven (can anything be?).

Now the days of the calendar flew by, and the date soon became December 22nd, just a few days prior to the Heartmas Holiday. This caused even more protests, both with civilians and the soldiers on the front-line, who complained that a war should not be fought on such a holy day. As you have seen with Lady White Heart, the Goddesses themselves knew the complaints of the people, but the choices they were given for the situation were slim, and all involved the continuous struggle for the island, or die trying, if that conclusion had to be made. Soldiers still found a way to place Heartmas Trees or Eagle Statues (for Urr-Kin) or any other holiday heirlooms around the trenches, and some tried to even give gifts to their comrades, or send messengers to send gifts back home, but even this is not enough for many, who can't help but feel that their Goddesses have abandoned them during their time of need.

All of this was just for claiming a rather hostile island, which may prove to be a failure in the future. Perhaps it was really the pride of both Goddesses that forced the battle to continue onward, or maybe it truly was continued due to fear of attack from the other party. Not even The Phantom could say for sure why the battle was still going on, and it looked as though no soul alive could figure out the true reason for such a useless conflict. Yet, perhaps the battle may reach a form of conclusion before Heartmas occurs, or maybe the conflict will be solved in a much more civilized manner, thus allowing the foot soldiers to finally leave the island. Maybe they can all go home and be with their loved ones, away from the chilled land that holds many a grave for unfortunate souls. Hope is the only thing that these men could rely on, and though there were times where it was simply becoming thin during the battles, they always believed that, just out of the blue, a chance for peace can come up, and Gamindustri can rest during the holiday season, the way it was always meant to be.

* * *

Great Reformation of the 80's: An event that took place in 1983, where Celestia, after witnessing the brutal wars Gamindustri was going through, decided to wipe away that history, and attempt to make the universe much more "friendly." The current Goddesses (Neptune, Noire, Blanc, and Vert) were made to never age (Blanc and Vert were turned back into their youthful prime); they were also forbidden to ever have any children, either from copulation or Celestial Birth. Everyone, with the exception of the current Oracles, Goddesses, and their Candidates, forgot about the horrifying history of the past (The Phantom and Lan16 avoided this spell), and were led to believe that the world was always kind and goofy. Celestia also became less involved with Gamindustri, and the Godly Council (Former Gods and Goddesses who govern Gamindustri in Celestia) was demolished after 2,000 years of existence. in recent days, Histoire and the others attempted to restore this memory of the past, which, if caught by Celestia, could lead to drastic complications.


	5. IF's Fear

Chapter 5: IF's Fear

"Compa, we got another one! Damn it, hold still! You're going to be fine!"

IF, a person who reluctantly volunteered to join Planeptune's forces just a month ago, came storming into the makeshift medical tent, located within the trenches. She was pushing a cart that held a man on top, one who was crying in agony, twitching and turning as he was lead inside the hovel, luckily out of the dangerous wind that blew outside. The unfortunate sod was trying to be a hero, quickly stepping out of the trenches and onto the ground above. He ran screaming as he fired his automatic, managing to injure some of the men on the other side. However, while the other army was too surprise to begin firing, the soldier should have realized that it was his responsibility to observe his entire surroundings. During his trek to the other side, a rather loud explosion echoed through the windy air, and when the smoke began to clear out, both sides watched in horror as the soldier cried on a heap of snow, being blasted almost back into his own trench, his right leg almost completely gone. IF managed to grab him and pull him back in, before the enemies were able to finish him off.

The medical tent wasn't even a tent, to be honest. Compa placed some cloth above a hole where the roof should be, thus giving her a nice place to heal and fix various wounds the men on the front-line may experience. The medical room she had was rather long in size, perfect for holding ten beds on each side, which were quickly filling up as we speak. The room had lockers around the corners of the room, and the floor was tiled, indicating that at some point in history, the room served as either a locker room or a simple basement to either a business or a wealthy house. Either way, the original intentions for it were quickly lost, Compa taking it as the only place flexible enough to treat the wounded. It was luckily connected to the trenches via some swing doors (which have both seen better days), so if someone got hurt, they could receive immediate help.

If only there were more than four medics on the field at the time.

Either way, back to the plot. Compa was easily startled by the brash opening IF gave for herself, almost dropping a syringe she was about to implant upon a wounded soldier. "Iffy, I keep telling you, don't startle me like that!" Compa yelled, though she still maintained her focus in implanting some serum into a soldier, who apparently had a bullet lodged into his shoulder, which required immediate aid, else he will certainly perish.

IF finished wheeling the man in, frowning at how bad this injury was; it was clear that he was probably not going make it, regardless of how much treatment he received. "Sorry, Comp, but this guy is in serious trouble! The other doctors are out in the trench busy. Crap, he's losing blood quick!" IF said, trying her best to cover the wound, though no matter what she did, the wound wouldn't stop producing that fine, red liquid. Compa, sweating even in the harsh cold, still tried to help her current patient, now applying some strange cloth onto the wound, covered in this strange liquid that none of us could identify. She ended up puffing her cheek out.

"Iffy, I'm sorry, but I'm busy too! May you take care of him, please?" Compa asked, still not attempting to even look at the dying man. IF, who was already expelling too much energy from running and feeling completely stressed, grew irritated at Compa, even though the medic was just doing whatever she could. The reluctant warrior was not one of the doctors in the trenches, though when the going got rough, Compa often made her a temporary medic, since she at least knew something about surgery and medicine; however, she was never the best doctor around, and she often had to endure watching her patient go out in pain and misery.

"Compa, at least look at the man! Let me take over for that guy, and you look after him!" IF tried to rationalize, knowing that she will not succeed in helping a newly-legless man. The man without the leg continued to scream, though he was starting to lose a lot of his energy, with his screams growing more hoarse and his body twisting about much more abrasively. He didn't have much time.

However, Compa still did not look up, and her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth twisted into a frown. In a quick second, she glared at IF. "You know what, fine! But if this man dies, what would I do, Iffy? What would I do?"

IF saw for that brief moment the tiredness Compa's eyes held, with preorbital dark circles circling them. She hasn't slept correctly for a week, her body completely exhausted, though determination kept her awake, in order to make sure her patients were treated when they needed to be treated. Her emotions were quickly turning sour, and her face, once known for being bright with peace and joy, was now pale with discourse and stress, as well as her mind growing numb from seeing so many a good man die right in front of her, over causes that could have been prevented if she was provided much better equipment from Lowee's main army. Some could say that her eyes also displayed the infamous thousand-yard stare, though IF said they looked more enraged, rather than disjointed from reality.

Compa let the man she was treating rest on his cot, and took the cart out of IF's hands, quickly moving and placing the wounded soldier onto another bed, the last one that was not filled. The other beds were occupied by soldiers resting from their injuries, with haphazard equipment lying nearby each of the cots, some going unused due to neglect. IF heard them all moan in pain, and she had to admit, she felt quite uneasy being in that room. It made her feel guilty for getting angry at Compa, knowing that the young medic has been through a lot throughout this bloody war, but IF had a problem with tolerating anger from others, so she had difficulty in calming her nerves. _Just calm down, girl, calm down. Compa's just tired. You have to focus on this guy, all right?_

"Hey, are you okay?" IF asked the wounded soldier, who was starting to fall under the spell of sedation. The soldier nodded, waving a hand to signify he required nothing else. IF knew the man was in deep pain, but probably after seeing the legless man, he felt that the other man should receive much more treatment them himself. Still, she had to make sure that the man was perfect, so she continued to investigate his wound. Compa already patched everything that needed to be, and it seemed that he was doing fine, so IF had absolutely no idea what to do next. "Are you sure?" she asked again, and henodded once more.

"I need to head back out. My lady wants me to fight," the man said, his voice ragged as he spat onto the ground. He tried to stand, but IF held him down. "Please, let me go! Lowee needs me. I must continue the fight!" The man yelled, coughing a tad bit as he continued to fight IF's strength-filled hold. IF sighed, knowing that it was hard to fight against a soldier's pride; she was never a soldier herself, but growing up the way she did, in a way far different than how she normally grew up in other universes, she knew how people always want to fight, regardless of how injured and unsuited for combat they are. She didn't have a terrible life, mind you, but she lived on _that _portion of a city that just had to contain a slum, and not being able to fight there due to an injury was essentially a death sentence. She once broke all her fingers on her left hand from an unknown accident, and she still defied her doctor by going out and still getting into fights. Was it truly necessary to fight back then? To her, it was. If it wasn't for Compa entering her life, IF may have become much more of a criminal with time, possibly one that Nisa on the other side would have had to apprehend.

But that portion of her life was done with. She still had difficulty with it, but she knew that when people were injured, they have to stay low for some time; she may become a hypocrite at random moments, but for this soldier, she had to abide by that rule. "Listen, buddy, prove to me that you are okay, and I may let out to fight again," IF said with her arms folded. The soldier gave her one of those funny looks a child may give to their mother when confused, not sure what to exactly do. IF sighed, and continued: "Try holding your gun. If you can actually do it, then you can go back out. If not, then lie down and rest."

"A'right, seems easy," the soldier said, standing up off the cot. He stretched his uninjured arm, while taking care in stretching the one injured. His body was quite slender, to the point that the armor he wore was practically serving as his muscle; days-on-end without eating much definitely does horrific things to the body. He pointed towards the gun lying on the ground, having IF pick it up for him. IF gave him a concerned look, but the soldier responded with a sincere "do not worry," and took the gun with his good hand, swinging over towards his chest, slamming the piece of metal against his exposed flesh. He looked fine at first, but once the injured arm's hand took hold of the handle of the gun, IF saw his face contort, and he made a gruff noise as pain sensors triggered about his body. He still managed to stand up straight, though his body looked like it was ready to collapse at any second.

"Yeah, I don't think it's happening, buddy. Come on, lay back down," IF said, trying to keep the man up, though he went on to handwave her away, struggling to keep the gun up. At last, he finally couldn't hold the gun that much longer, dropping it to the floor as he lunged himself back onto the cot, grimacing as he held his shoulder. "Just relax! Listen, I can give you some more sedation to calm the pain…I think. Crap, Compa could really explain how to use this thing," IF said as she looked at the dubbed "sedation machine." The man once more hand waved to her, and IF starting to grow annoyed, trying to hold back her snapping point from, well, snapping.

"Lady, that shouldn't be necessary. Look, there's men out there that need me to lead an attack…I-I have to do it…" the man said, before breaking down, as the pain sensors all about him screamed, as if to remind him that the bullet within him was quite the dangerous substance. He buckled on top of the cot, joining in on the screaming train with the rest of the patients. IF jumped at this sudden action, and quickly looked at the "sedation machine" once more, frantically looking for some sort of instruction. She looked towards where Compa went, but oddly enough, she did not see her friend _or _the legless patient, worrying her to an even higher degree. Swearing under her breath, she continued to look everywhere on the machine, finding what looked like a nozzle, something that looked like a switch to a bomb detonator, a strange lever connected to a gas tank, and a bizarre screen that had all sorts of data being displayed.

_Okay, I…shit, I'm going to kill this man! _IF thought, knowing that all of this medical equipment was not recognizable to her knowledge. She looked at the man once more, seeing him continuing to writhe in pain, his skin growing paler; the wound, though already treated in order to stop the bleeding, seemed to have grown worse, with the blood coming out of the stitches placed before. No matter what she knew, or what she didn't know, IF had to do something quick, or else this man will likely die off along with the rest. "O-O-Okay, calm down! Let me try this, all right?" IF said in a frantic manner, quickly grabbing what appeared to be a nozzle.

With a gulp, she placed the nozzle right upon the wound, and pressed that button that happened to look like one found on a detonator. A strange churning noise was made, and the nozzle was quickly growing heavier, requiring IF to bend her knees down in order to attempt to keep herself steady. A little bit more blood seeped through the open wound as the nozzle injected itself into the body, making a whirling noise that made IF want to throw up whatever little she had in the past couple of days. However, within three seconds, the whirling stopped, the machine cooled, and soon the only noises remaining were the heavy breathing of IF, the agonizing groans from the other patients, and the heavy wind that blew on the outside, carrying a heavy barrage of snow with it. _Wow, I really hope that worked, _IF said, barely keeping her composure.

Compa, if she was acting like herself, would have scolded IF for not sanitizing the nozzle beforehand (and cleaning the wound off as well), but overall she felt like she fixed the problem, as the guy began to grow relaxed, and not in the dying sort of way. With the biggest sigh she has ever given in this current iteration of her life, IF wiped her brow, placing a hand on her hip as she shook her head, not wanting to relive that moment ever again. _Damn, that was enjoyable, wasn't it? Compa, I know you're not yourself, but seriously, I wish you were here-_

"I…have…to go," the soldier asked, his tongue rolling over each and every word said. IF turned to face the man in bizarre bewilderment. She quickly took a glance towards the machine, and saw on the screen that, if she was reading it correctly in the first place, the "sedation" was set to mid, with a disclaimer stating that anyone placed under its influence should have been knocked out, or at least be in a state of perpetual daydream. Either she did everything wrong, or this guy was too tough for the "sedation's" power. Either way, it appalled IF to see the man still try to fight, regardless of having the mindset of a drunk.

"Are you still on that? Buddy, you are not doing well; you're going to do more harm than good if you head out. Just rest for now," IF said, placing a hand (rather gently) upon his shoulder. The soldier had no energy left within him, and his struggles were thus rendered minute, though he still gave an impressive effort, even with the strength of IF literally upon his shoulders. Finally, the man gave up, lying down in his sedation, almost on the verge of finally passing out. _Please just be passing out…_

Eventually, the soldier passed out, his pulse stabilizing but his color still muted. IF double-checked just to make sure she didn't kill the man, and was pleased to feel the beating of his heart from the neck; it was slower than usual, but it was luckily still there. She quickly sat down on a chair nearby, breathing hard as she couldn't believe that everything worked out in her favor. As she breathed, however, she felt the horrific chill of the island suddenly affect, and she quickly held her jacket as tightly as she could, trying to keep all the warmth within her body; no sense joining the rest of the crowd.

However, as she kept to herself, she looked back at the fallen soldier, which was when she realized she made a rather huge mistake. You see, IF did essentially everything correctly (for better or worse), but she soon realized that, since he was mostly exposed to the weather, she should have thought to have placed the blanket over him. Instead, she rested him on the bed _on top_ of the covers, thus leaving him fully out in the deadly air, the freeze baking his skin in a disturbing white of frost. It freaked IF out, for the most part.

"Jeez, girl, think next time!" she scolded herself, wondering what she could possibly do to remedy this situation. She could attempt to lift him just a little bit, so that the blanket could thus be properly used, but due to her health not being up to par with standards, she knew that she couldn't even lift her own weapon correctly. Her other option was to go on and steal a blanket from one of the other patients, though that would be just too cruel for both her and humanity's tastes. _Crap, what do I do?_

Then, just as if she suddenly grew selfless, she looked down at her own, oversized coat, which was practically serving itself as a blanket by this point. It provided some warmth to her, and without it, she would probably be an icicle. She looked at herself, at the soldier, back to herself, and then back at the man. "I can't let him freeze to death, but…damn," IF mumbled, being thrown into a dilemma of her own creation. What should she do, if anything at all? Let the man freeze to death right beside her, or give him the jacket, and have herself freeze? It's clear that he could get better, but still, was it really worth it to give him the only thing that may be keeping IF warm? If only she was allowed to light a flame in the room, but Compa and the other nurses would flip out.

"…God dammit!"

Very reluctantly, she disrobed from the jacket, feeling the harsh wind blowing from the door, and carefully threw it over the man, trying to tuck it around his body, in case the wind decided to blow it away. The man was already shivering, and even with the newly acquired fabric wrapping around him only causing him to shiver some more. IF feared that the cold was being trapped with him, but in the end, he slowly calmed himself, and after checking his abraded breath once more, she determined that this was, indeed, a very good thing.

With that, she quickly sat back down, bringing her knees up to her face as close as possible, attempting to huddle quietly to herself, desperately trying to keep warm. It had to be in the negatives in that room, and it was a miracle that soldiers were actually out on the field, fighting against the blizzard that could rip them all apart; that is, if they didn't freeze to death first. However, unlike them, IF wasn't as buddled as they were, wearing only the basic neccesities of cold weather, such as a sweatshirt and rather baggy pants. Really, the jacket she once wore was her only protection in this harsh environment.

She was technically naked at this point.

"Crap, I'm going to die…what were you thinking, girl?" IF muttered to herself, already feeling some drifting snow cling to her frail body, coating her in a rather thin veil of white. She already felt her breathing grow hesitant, her mouth refusing to stop shaking as her whole face was growing numb. It was funny how quick it all came to her; the feeling of dread, the feeling of cold, the feeling of fear, the feeling of looming death; it was surprisingly funny how screwed she felt she was. Protecting an unknown stranger to herself, only to start dying away instead. Funny.

As she sat there, almost ready to become causality in this war, she remembered a scenario long ago that nearly cost her that precious thing known as life. Back when she was still a petty thug for a street gang known as The Guild, she was often stealing off the streets, trying to keep herself alive. She did just well throughout the whole year, but one day, about a few days before that year's Heartmas (how strange, isn't it), she was attempting to steal a loaf of bread for a few friends, when out of nowhere a few gents appeared before her. She remembered the snow falling, trickling down towards the pavement the cars on the streets lying dead against the poorest buildings Planeptune had ever seen; how serene those lights on the roof shined down upon their horrific encounter.

She had to be maybe 8 at the time; too young to be out in the cold, and out on the streets. She was known for always wearing gigantic coats to fend off the harsh winters, something that has continued on to this day. It was this fact that allowed these men to find her, looking just as frail as her, though much more threatening. Like everyone else in The Guild, they were struggling to survive, and were starving as all hell. IF remembered looking at them, trying to act tough, though the cold was wearing her down, making her look much more terrified than anything else. They saw the bread underneath her big sleeve, and all three moved in. The snow fell down without a care, the distant sounds of the buzzling city being the only other noises.

IF could've fought, but hunger prevented her from focusing. They rushed her, threw her to the ground, and stomped on her constantly, forcing her to submit to their reason. They quickly tore away her jacket and took it with them as their feet smashed against the snowy road. They could've left her jacket and just have taken the bread, but for whatever reason, they took both, and never came back. She was left on the ground, her barely-adequate clothing offering no protection from the harsh chill of the night. She wasn't really bloody or badly injured, but the pain was enough to make her cry, her body placed in a huddled position. The snow began to be blanket her as the sniffles grew worse.

It was the fear, though, that truly turn her blood cold. She lost her only food for the night, as well as her protection, and she now was hurt, out on the middle of the road, where anybody could come and snatch her away to True Goddess-knows where. She had no family (at least that she knew of), and the only people she could ask for help were either hiding and sleeping, or would attempt to hurt her further in case they _did _find her. In the end, she was alone, and that fear of dying alone (or just dying in general) made her want to scream. She wanted to just get up and find food, but she knew her body wouldn't allow it. She couldn't help but prepare to die.

She prayed that this event would never occur again, but now, she instantly regretted her ignorance. She couldn't even scream for help just like last time, her mouth too frozen. But, simply put, she couldn't just take the jacket back, for the man was too endangered as well; she may have been a thug once, but she wasn't always selfish. She wish she was, but that, of course, is too selfish to say; how strange, eh?

"Great…I can't just die, but I can't move…," IF stated, beginning to wonder a little bit if she was exaggerating this or not; considering the weather conditions, she properly wasn't. It was so strange, that terrible fear creeping upon her freezing flesh; it was all happening again, and she had no idea what to do. How did she survive that night again? Did Heartmas spare her some mercy, or maybe a distant relative found her, or maybe she just randomly got the courage to go on, though that last one was clearly unlikely. Still, how did she survive that moment?

_C-Compa…_

Her fear…dying alone in the cold. A terrible but justified fear, one that could shake the very foundations of the entire world. That night made her fear the chill of the looming winter, and any time she was forced to be awake at night, she could only cringe at those horrible memories. She shouldn't be alive, honestly, for her body was about to give up that cold night. Cold, alone, afraid…a great combination for any child.

But in the end, a single soul came for her that night. A small glimmer of light, one that came from not a flame nor lamp, but from the soul of a cheerful individual, who was accidentally lost, and ended up on the wrong side of Planeptune. She, like IF, was only about eight years old, but during the duration of that hellish evening, she seemed much more adult. Like our hardened thug, she was scared, terrified even, of being out all alone, being separated from her group during a late-night walk from school. If she didn't have that beautiful, cheerful heart, IF may have died that night.

The little girl, scared that a man may come and snatch her away, heard quiet whimpers out on the street, and she immediately saw a human-like figure laying on the ground, almost completely covered in snow. She would have been much more hesitant to close in on her, but once she heard those whimpers and saw that the figure was no doubt a little girl, she grew a little calmer. She quickly patted her shoulder, which caused IF to flinch and cower away. The little girl, shy that she was, surprisingly asked if our favorite thug was okay.

IF still remembered looking up, eyes squinting against the brightness of a porchlight high above, and seeing an angelic hue surrounding the young girl she later learned was Compa. At this point, IF was nearly passing out from the cold, with her nose runny and her whole body completely numb. She still had tears running down her face (beginning to freeze on her), but probably based solely on instinct, she grew mad at this cheerful girl, and was ready to fight again. She expected her to scream and run away, but instead Compa merely began to giggle. It confused our thug, and no matter how long she stayed in that "Scary" face, the young girl would only giggle some more.

Compa would eventually ask her if she wanted her coat. IF, never knowing this form of generosity, at first said no, but after the young girl gave her a nice set of puppy eyes, she relented. "Aren't you g-going to b-be cold?" IF remembered asking her that night, realizing that the soon-to-be medic was wearing nothing else protective for the winter. Compa merely chuckled, and said it was all right. She soon asked if IF wanted to come home with her (her parents, oddly enough, were well known with taking homeless children in for a little bit, at least to adoptive parents finally discover them), to which IF, who was most likely still delusional and quite the hungry one, immediately said yes.

Her house was surprisingly not far from the bad part of Planeptune's capitol (explaining why Compa's parents always found poor child all about), and once IF saw the bright lights emanating through the windows, she could already feel warm. Luckily, she was the only "found" kid that night, so she didn't feel as afraid, but it still felt strange to actually be in a nice house. Compa's parent(s) (a young, beautiful woman and a rather, eh, wait, is that…oh, that is her grandpa. The dad wasn't present, and IF never met him) immediately hugged both of the girls, patting Compa on the head. IF remembered being relieved to be out of the cold, but she grew fearful once more when she felt that the young girl was leading to her kidnapping. Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Compa's parent(s) learned IF's name, cleaned the dirt off of her, and even fed her (the food didn't even last five minutes). The guest bedroom needed tidying up, so IF had to sleep with Compa in her bed. It was…awkward, but IF couldn't have felt any better. It was amazing, really, how much of a thug she was back then, and yet, Compa and her family accepted her as though she was their own daughter. That Heartmas was the very first one she ever celebrated, and she felt as though all her troubles went away. Still, she feared that no one will ever pick her up like the other children, and she will have to leave this warmth and go back out into the cold. It was something Compa feared as well, for IF was the only kid they ever brought in that actually bonded with her. Her parent's noted this, as well as noting that unlike the other children, our little thug always did as she was told, and acted almost like a true daughter. Eventually, IF was made Compa's unofficial sister by the Planeptune government, and she finally had a place to belong. For once, she could leave The Guild behind her.

Years down the road, the two of them viewed each other as sisters (sometimes, both viewed each other as a little bit more than that), and one day, they encountered Lady Purple Heart. The rest is history…

And it was all because Compa stopped and saved IF from being frozen to death.

Now, kind readers, poetry works in a grand way. Even when every line refuses to rhyme with the one previous to it, eventually, all the stanzas will come together in a beautiful motion. History works the same way, as events from the past often come back in the same style many years down the line. IF probably didn't believe it, but fate works in mysterious ways. As she sat there, still desperately trying to keep warm, and fight off the fear plaguing her mind, Compa finally returned, and noticed her dear friend struggling. Almost without a second thought, the medic quickly ran to a storage container, pulled out a gigantic blanket (it was a spare, just in case), and quickly wrapped IF in it. "Iffy, are you okay? You can't be out in the cold like this!"

IF looked up at her once she felt the warmth returning to her body, though her muscles were still aching from the cold temperature. Just like long ago, her nose was running and her whole body was numb; it was a fact picked up once more by the studious Compa. The medic quickly snapped her fingers and quickly walked out of the room. "C-C-Compa?" IF tried to say, though her lips were too shaky; it was only five minutes, give or take, and already she was that close to becoming an icicle. Where did her friend go? The cries of the people around her, including the man currently using her jacket, were silent now, and IF had no idea if that was good or not. Did she leave for them?

Her gaze slowly grew hazy, but she soon saw Compa reenter the room, carrying what appeared to be a full box of matches in one hand, and within her other one were a few, small bundles of twigs some of the soldiers probably saved up. _What the hell…? _Our favorite thug questioned within her head, though the thought of her friend actually creating a flame in the room didn't seem all that wrong to her. Eventually, Compa ran towards her.

"Please, IF, can you walk? Please try!"

IF nodded, though her mind was all over the place. The fear that resided within her tight abode was starting to fade, and all she could feel now was the same feeling of feeling safe. The feeling of entering Compa's house for the first time; the feeling of helping her mother set up dinner; the feeling of being with the family during the holidays; she had no idea why these memories returned to her, but it was as if the dark was now being overshadowed by the light. She rose to her feet, and taking care in carrying the blanket with her, followed wherever Compa wanted her to go.

Once she got to the middle of the room, the medic made IF sit down on a pulled up chair, which she too had. Once IF sat, the match was lit, and a fire was started. "B-B-But you s-s-said…" the brunette began in extreme confusion, though the delight of the flame made her mood quite the hypocrite. Compa bowed to her as she fanned the flames (the other patients, though slightly farther away, felt the warm coming to them. They were lucky enough to have a funnel on the ceiling that allowed the smoke to leave; would have been chaotic without it), seeming to be more worried about her dear friend than some stupid policy.

"I know, Iffy, but after awhile, it just gets too cold! If there is any damage, I'll deal with it, but staying in a room as cold as this would be just…well, like my grandpappy once said, 'I'd rather sweat than freeze my loins!'" IF was flabbergasted that her innocent friend just said that, but knowing her grandpa somewhat (Thank god not _too _well), it disturbingly made her feel at ease. In an instant, the medic pulled out what appeared to be a cup already filled with some sort of liquid, most likely tea. IF, whom felt quite dehydrated after that previous episode, took it as a great gift a children would receive from their mother.

For a while, they both sat in silence. Occassionally, another doctor or nurse would wander in to grab something, often times giving the duo a strange look, though after being out in the wild for far too long, they didn't dare bring up the breaking of the code. The fire continued to burn, with an occassional thrown stick and the often blowing of the currently simmered-down wind fueling its mighty appendages. IF had no idea why it looked so beautiful, as it was only a few flames, but the great sense of passion the flames made was like a grand piece of artwork, and Compa was its masterful artist.

It was then that IF decided to bring up something.

"C-Compa, what ab-bout that p-patient?"

Compa looked up finally and made eye-contact, though what IF say made her want to run through that fire and embrace her weary friend. They were attempting to be happy, but those beautiful eyes were now stained with the sad feeling of hopelessness: fatigue, slight malnourishment, and hopelessness. It was going against everything the medic ever was, and frankly everything she would be.

"He…"

And that was that. IF didn't need to hear the rest of it. She didn't run through the flames, mind you, but she did get up, leaving the big blanket behind as she ran to hug her distressed friend. It was still freakishly cold for her barely-protected skin, but at this moment, she didn't care about that. Compa didn't cry, nor did she even let out a sniffle; she just accepted her friend's welcoming hand, and sat there, almost emotionless. "Y-You did your b-best, Comp. T-That was a-all anyone could expect."

Compa soon rested her head on IF's chest. Such strange poetry, hm? Long ago, it was none other than the young medic rescuing the hurt thug; now, as history dictates, the roles have been reversed. She didn't think of it as "returning the favor," but IF probably realized this in the end, though she never brought it up. They remained in that position for quite some time. By the moment when they finally left the embrace, the room grew quiet as the patients were now at ease, and everything became tranquil.

The medic soon looked into IF's eyes; her fatique was much too apparent. "Do you think we'll be able to celebrate Heartmas? I just think it's terrible were out here…_fighting…_On such a beautiful occasion. Why can't we just get along?" she stated with a disheartening monotone voice. IF shook her head, looking out the doors, seeing that sun (which was obscured by the clouds anyways) finally left the horizon, and the darkness began seeping in; wouldn't be long before the reckless start charging, thinking the night will disguise them. She saw very faint lights out in the distance, most likely small flames set up just like they had, and the brunette began reminiscening about the tree in Compa's house, with the star shining brightly high up. It was a little thing now, but back then, IF thought it was the angels of Celestia telling her to never fear. There was never a moment quite as magical as Heartmas…

…And Compa brought up a good point; they may miss it over this petty thing. The greatest day of all, born from the grand traditions of all that live, wasted by the fallacies of such a pointless conflict; such arrogance. Far away, Mina was also thinking this terrible thought, and probably over in Planeptune, Neptune couldn't have agreed more. The light on top of tree, standing isolated amongst a group of fools, never to shine its passionate glory across the world anew.

"I don't know, Comp. I really don't. Maybe when Neptune gets here, but… I really don't know."


End file.
